Redemption
by TwinkleToesToo
Summary: My annual birthday gift to Kelley. Set through out season 5, will be a Spimmy friendship fic....eventually. Rated T for language.
1. Spinner

My note…this is a series of short little ficlets for Kelley, in honor of her sweet sixteen(today by the way...hey, that rhymes). It's a season 5 fic, focusing on the reunion between Jimmy and Spinner…more precisely, what led up to it.

REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 1: THE ANNIVERSARY

SPINNER

It had been a year....a year already. An entire 365 days for me, but a lifetime for Jimmy. I know there isn't anything I can do to change what happened to him, but I need to do something.

So I go to this retreat...for Darce...and Linus corners me and brings up the shooting. Dick. So what do I do? I call Jay Hogart....the bane of my existence. I let him in my life. Again. And he fucks everything up. Again.

Will I ever learn?

Darcy helps though. She's there, she knows about everything, everything that happened...and she's still with me.

I don't deserve her.

_"I love you Spin"_

She shouldn't. Jesus shouldn't.

"_How can Jesus forgive someone who got his best friend shot?"_

_"Because, he just does. All you need to do is believe"._

Her voice was sweet and gentle, but it was hard to believe her at first, even though I wanted to so bad. I wanted to believe that I would be forgiven...that even if Jimmy couldn't forgive me, Jesus would.

_"It's too late"._

_"No, it's not. We'll find Jesus together. Alright?"._

_"Okay"._

I would do it. I'd make Jesus my priority. I'll earn his forgiveness, some-body's forgiveness....who knows, maybe even Jimmy will see that I've changed, that I could change.

For now, I can only hope that someday...I will finally find that redemption.

* * *

Horribly short, I know...and most of it is dialogue from RS, but this is just my starting point. And while I will be putting my spin(no pun intended) on the rest of story, I will also continue to use references/excerpts from other actual episodes. Like in the next chap, we have Jimmy, and since there was such a lack of real content from the writers about him dealing with the actual anniversary(not his art or his crappy relationship with Hazel)...it will be totally my work.

Happy(1), happy(2), happy(3), happy(4), happy(5), happy(6), happy(7), happy(8), happy(9), happy(10), happy(11), happy(12), happy(13), happy(14), happy(15), happy(16) birthday Kelley, and many more.

Degrassi is not mine.


	2. Jimmy

My note…I figured this story would get off to a slow start. How do you ask, can I expect my readers to jump back on the Spimmy bandwagon, when we currently have no Jimmy, and are seriously lacking in any good Spinner screen time? Why, head back to season 5(season 4 if you count the flashbacks), of course...when the show was actually worth watching.

REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 2: THE ANNIVERSARY

JIMMY

I didn't want to make a big deal about today, hell, I didn't even want to get out of bed this morning. But I did. I faced the day, and all that it stands for. Dealt with the reminders...as if the dead legs and wheelchair weren't already constant reminders...and pushed on...literally

And look how well that worked out for me.

On this day a year ago, I lost the use of my legs...

_"...you made me do this..."_

Today, I lost my girlfriend...

_"Jimmy...we're through..."_

I'm hope this isn't the start of some kind of pattern. God only knows what next year will bring.

But really, I know that it's not. The breakup with Hazel was inevitable. Like so many other things...

_"You like art?"_

_"No, I don't get art at all..."._

Our relationship had been...strained, for a long time now. Like so many other relationships I've had...

_"And then when the feathers came down! Oh!"._

_"Cut the guy some slack Spin. He's not that bad". _

_"Yeah okay! Oh chicken boy! Oh chicken boy! I love your wealth of knowledge and I, I love you". _

_"I'm glad you think this is funny". _

_"Did you see the guys face? Definition of funny!". _

_"What kind of person does that?". _

_"One, a genius. And two! If you rat on me-"._

_"What?! No really what are you gonna do? Yeah that's what I thought. Look save the bully crap for someone who won't fight back. And you better do something about it __now before I do"._

Dammit. Why can't I get that day out of my head?

Why can't I get _him_, out of my head?

Spinner Mason, the bane of my existence.

Some nerve this morning...asking if he could help, acting like we were still friends, pretending to be a changed person.

_"Come on guys. Let me help out"_

But a person like him...no, he'll never change.

Now me? Yeah, I know a thing or two about being changed.

One year...Twelve months...Three hundred sixty-five days of change...

But there is one thing that won't ever change...and that's the way I feel about Spinner Mason.

_"Look when I said you were dead to me I meant forever. You don't exist"._

* * *

Can you believe it? Two updates in as many days. Now if I can only keep my stories straight and pair the right chapter with the right fic...

I know, it was another shortie...and one that took waaaaaaaay too long to post. I am truly sorry for that. As soon as things settle down on my end(yeah, so not for like two more weeks), then updates should resume to something that resembles a normal pattern. And I might actually get to reply to my lovely, loyal reviewers...yeah, but tomorrow though, I'm going to bed!

Degrassi is not mine.


	3. Father Marco, Sister Darcy & a fiery red

My note…OH…MY…GOD…I can't believe how many things I've had to neglect because of RL. I haven't had time to think let alone write, but I never, ever forgot about my stories or my great friends here on FF. So, in honor of Kelley's 17th birthday(I started this piece last year, as a sweet 16 present….Yeah, that's how busy I'vebeen), I worked so hard this week to at least update this story for her. I hope it was worth the wait. Happy Birthday Kelley!!!

REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 3: FATHER MARCO, SISTER DARCY AND A FIERY REDHEAD pt.1

MARCO

It feels like I've been pitted against two of my best friends forever now. Well, not exactly _two_ best friends...

Anyone who knows the history between the three of us would be insane if they said that Jimmy Brooks wasn't a better friend to me than Spinner Mason was.

Jimmy has always been a true friend, someone who has stuck by me no matter what. He was there for me when I came out, accepted it as if it were no big deal, and helped me through the tough times...the gay bashing, my breakup with Dylan, etc. Spinner? Well, it took Spinner a little longer to come to terms with my sexuality...and by a little, I mean a lot.

But in the end he did.

Even though it was something he struggled with, a lifestyle he didn't maybe agree with...He overcame his homophobia and remained my friend. And how did I show my appreciation to him? What did I do in return?

I shunned him like everyone else.

I know it may not have been fair, but my loyalty had remained with Jimmy. It was the right thing to do, right? I mean Jimmy was the victim in all this, wasn't he? He was the one who got shot because of some stupid prank Spinner and Jay concocted. He was the one who's life was irrevocably changed because of what should have been a simple misunderstanding...

Only it wasn't just Jimmy's life that was changed that day, it was all of ours. Spinner included.

Spinner especially.

In a matter of seconds, he nearly lost his best friend...his brother. And for months, to have to live with that knowledge that he was partly responsible for it.

I know what it's like to have a secret. I know what it's like to have that secret eat away at you. To be so afraid to tell anyone, for fear of how they'd react. But I also know the feeling of relief that comes with letting the truth out, and to know that your friends still accept you and love you for who you are.

Only when the truth came out for Spinner, there was no feeling of relief or peace. No friends there to help him through that. He ended up, not only loosing the rest of those friends, but also his entire junior year of school... his life as he knew it.

It was because of that, that I decided to give him a second chance. And it almost didn't happen, not after what took place at the safe sex seminar, with Friendship Club...and Linus. But Spinner sought me out after that, apologized for what happened, practically begged me to be his friend again. It was there, across from the Dot that I realized just how lost he was, how much he needed me, how he had changed, and that yes, he did deserve another chance...

Now I just have to find a way to get Jimmy to see that too.

* * *

DARCY

I guess I never really realized why Spinner felt he _needed _to be friends with those people. I can clearly remember when I first started at Degrassi, there was some sort of tension or something between all of them...none of them hung around together, and they seemed to talk to each other even less. I didn't even know they were supposed to be friends.

I guess it's the years of being with the same people, growing up with them, getting to know everything about the other. I wouldn't know, I never had anything like that. With my dad's job, we were forced to move every few months and I was barely even able to make any friends.

What I do know is that Jimmy and Spin had been friends since before nursery school. In fact, that's where they met Paige Michalchuk, that Ashley girl who's in London, and Rick Murray's former girlfriend Terri. And while they may have added a few more members and lost some throughout the years, the fact still remains that that group probably wouldn't have even known one another if it wasn't for the friendship of Jimmy Brooks and Spinner Mason.

How can people just throw all of those memories away like that? And all because of a freak accident.

I know what happened to Jimmy was a tragedy, but it wasn't entirely Spinner's fault. Sure he and Jay Hogart led Rick to believe that Jimmy was behind the prank, but he wasn't the only one who teased Rick and he wasn't the one who brought that gun to school, or the one who fired that bullet into Jimmy's back. Spinner was the scapegoat, plain and simple. They all needed someone to blame and Spinner was the easy target. I mean, it wasn't like Rick could be held accountable anymore...he was already dead.

Seriously, if somebody treated me the way that they treat Spin, I wouldn't even want to be around them. Heck, I'd probably go home, say prayer, and light a candle for them. But that's not how Spin sees it. He loves them like they were his siblings...he doesn't know how to live without them.

And while I may not totally understand it...I'm going to make sure he doesn't have to anymore.

* * *

ELLIE

I've known both Spinner Mason and Jimmy Brooks for the same amount of time, just over three years now. Two totally different people, from totally different backgrounds...

But they work.

Or at least they did.

Those two were always in some kind of competition. One always trying to out do the other. I remember that time when Jimmy and Spinner both wanted my phone number, and I gave it to Spinner. I know that burned Jimmy, probably more so now than ever, but it wasn't anything personal. And I didn't do it because I liked Spinner more than him. I did it because Ashley was my best friend and I knew how she felt...and probably still feels...about Jimmy. That's why I did it.

Maybe I should tell Jimmy that. On second thought....No. I don't think drudging up the past between him and Spinner will make anything easier right now. In fact, I'm not really sure there's anything I can say or do that will change Jimmy's opinion of Spinner Mason. I'm really not the type of person who enjoys being in the middle of conflict of any kind. I a pretty passive person when it comes to that. And I really don't think I should be getting involved in things that are none of my business. But Marco has other ideas. He seems to think Spinner deserves another chance, and he also believes that I'm the 'perfect' person to convince Jimmy of this.

I don't know.

I guess I could talk to Paige...no, she pretty much hates me. Then there's Hazel...uh no, not gonna happen. She hates me_ and_ Jimmy. Okay, so that leaves Craig...oh wait, he's out in Vancouver working on his music thing and happens to totally despise Spinner.

Great. So that just leaves me, Marco...

...and?

* * *

You know I couldn't help myself from sneaking in a possible future pairing in there(hint, double hint). If you haven't already figured it out(I know season 5 seems like a lifetime ago), this one is set during/right after 'I Against I'. I originally planned on giving each character their own chapter(with dialogue of course...and Jimmy), but in the end, decided to just go with quick snippets of their thoughts instead. The next chap will make more sense(I hope).

Yessss, I live. Helllooo everyone. God, I've missed you all, it's been sooo long.

I know I don't have the time or space to fill you all in on everything that's been going on lately, so I'll spare you. Life is great, school is great(almost done! I have the days figured out somewhere...but it's less than six months to go:), family is great...

Super busy time for me these next few weeks(finals, Nutcracker, etc), so you probably wont hear from me again 'til around Christmas. But I will definitely get back into the groove over the holiday break(who knows, maybe sooner). Hugs to you all and a very Happy Birthdayx17, to Kelley!!

Degrassi is not mine.


End file.
